Illustration of people reading around a graduation cap topped with a neighborhood of houses and trees. — A graduation cap turned into a neighborhood underscores the wide differences in bachelor’s-degree attainment across North Atlanta cities.

Nearly four in five Milton adults hold at least a bachelor’s degree. In Lawrenceville, roughly one in four does.

Across 18 cities from Canton to Chamblee, college-degree attainment ranges from 77.9% to 26%, a difference of 51.9 percentage points. Eight cities exceed 60%, while three fall below Georgia’s statewide rate of 34.9%.

The comparison reveals a region with sharply different educational backgrounds, even among nearby communities sharing the same roads and employment centers.

The comparison across 18 cities

These Census Bureau estimates cover 2020 through 2024 and measure residents age 25 and older with a bachelor’s, graduate or professional degree. Each figure applies to the incorporated city, rather than its broader mailing-address area.

City	Adults 25 and older with bachelor’s degree or higher
Milton	77.9%
Johns Creek	72.7%
Dunwoody	72.2%
Brookhaven	70.9%
Alpharetta	70.7%
Sandy Springs	69.2%
Roswell	66.0%
Suwanee	62.5%
Duluth	53.7%
Woodstock	52.3%
Peachtree Corners	51.6%
Sugar Hill	48.5%
Chamblee	47.9%
Norcross	40.5%
Cumming	34.9%
Canton	32.3%
Buford	29.3%
Lawrenceville	26.0%

Eleven of the 18 cities have degree attainment above 50%. Fourteen exceed the Georgia rate of 34.9%, with Cumming matching it and Canton, Buford and Lawrenceville below it.

Nearby cities can have very different profiles

High degree attainment extends beyond North Fulton. Dunwoody and Brookhaven both exceed 70%, while Sandy Springs approaches that threshold.

Elsewhere, neighboring communities diverge considerably. Woodstock’s 52.3% rate is 20 percentage points above Canton’s. Within Gwinnett, Suwanee’s 62.5% contrasts with Lawrenceville’s 26% and Buford’s 29.3%.

Those differences describe adult residents. They do not establish how well local schools perform, where residents earned their degrees or what qualifications are required by employers inside each city.

They also leave substantial populations outside the bachelor’s-degree category. Even in Milton, about 22% of adults age 25 and older do not hold one. In seven of the 18 cities, that group represents a majority.

Cumming and South Forsyth need separate treatment

Cumming’s figure covers the city limits. It should not be applied to South Forsyth neighborhoods that use a Cumming mailing address.

Across Forsyth County, bachelor’s-degree attainment reaches 57.1%, compared with 34.9% inside Cumming. The county figure includes both the city and unincorporated communities; it is not a separate estimate for South Forsyth.

The same boundary caution applies elsewhere. A Buford, Lawrenceville or Woodstock postal address does not necessarily place a household inside the municipality measured here.

Degrees and income do not follow an identical ranking

Milton combines the highest degree rate in this comparison with median household income of $171,295. Lawrenceville, at the other end of the degree range, has median household income of $61,561. Both income estimates cover 2020-2024 and are expressed in 2024 dollars.

But the relationship varies between communities. Brookhaven and Alpharetta have nearly identical degree rates, while their median household incomes are $117,663 and $147,612, respectively. Household income combines the earnings and other income of household members, so it cannot be read as an individual graduate’s salary.

Degree attainment is also only one measure of education. Adults outside this category may have associate degrees, technical credentials, apprenticeships or extensive professional experience.

The American Community Survey estimates pool five years of responses. They describe that period, rather than a count taken in October 2026, and small differences between cities may fall within survey uncertainty.

The larger gaps reveal the useful distinction: North Atlanta includes communities where four-year degrees are held by a substantial majority and others where most adults have followed different educational paths. Employers, colleges and workforce programs serve both.